Status Check

A-One hasn't done much brain training over the last month - just one day in the last four weeks.  His last score on Lumosity was 45th percentile, comprising the following sub-percentiles:

• Speed: 72.4
• Memory: 60.1
• Attention: 46.8
• Flexibility: 53.9
• Problem Solving: 9.1

All of the above are well within the average range, except Problem Solving.  I reckon his overall BPI would be higher than 45th percentile if he learnt his number facts.

So, has anything changed for A-One from his brain training?

When he met with his employment consultant yesterday discussing kitchen hand work, I noticed that he worked out how many years he'd been cleaning up the kitchen at home when I said he'd been rostered on that job since he was at least 8 years old.  Next week he turns 23.  He casually slipped into his conversation 'So, I've been doing that for 15 years.'  No pause, no counting on fingers.

I've also been noticing that his conversations as he plays WOW with his online friends are quite coherent and not all one-way.  Quite different from just a few years ago when he'd get on to a topic and keep talking regardless of signals that it was time to let someone else speak, or to inquire after them.  It all sounds very regular to me.

He now needs to build his confidence, and become motivated to get out of his comfort zone at home.

Getting ready for a change ...

In the last couple of days I've sent off a few emails to others on the advocacy list for Arrowsmith, as well to a couple of educational institutions.  I've also been keeping up with the latest news from SharpBrains, and came across a reference to a free cognitive test called Brain Baseline for iPads and iPhones.  I duly went looking for it but it's only in the US Apple store, not the Australian one.  So I wrote off to them too asking when it would be available in the Australian store.

In the meanwhile I've tested myself out on the CogStateTM practice tests and think I have the hang of them now.  I've uploaded my practice results and am now working out whether the test report is useful to me, or simply to track A-One's scores in a spreadsheet myself. I'm very keen to get started with him as he seems to be losing interest in Lumosity, and I think it's time for a change. So I want to baseline him using CogStateTM, then try something else, giving Lumosity a rest for a while.

I'm very impressed with C8-Kids Cognition Cross Training, another suite of brain training exercises I came across via SharpBrains.  This one's from Yale University and has been used to treat ADHD. I like very much that a few simple games progressively incorporate training for additional cognitive functions, and progressive comprehensive reports on a student's cognitive profile are also available i.e. it combines both training and assessment.  The program also combines mental and physical training, so it's really the whole package! The program is geared to 5-10 year olds, but the interface is not too 'babyish' and adults can benefit from it too. The downside, and this is noted on their website, is that for adults any comparative assessments draw on a much smaller population, so I'm not sure how useful they'll be.

The C8 program requires that the student do 3 - 5 sessions a week ranging from 25 - 40 mins each, generally over a 4 month period.

I recall when I spoke to Sheryl Batchelor that she wondered why the Arrowsmith program needs 3-4 years when other programs show improvements over 3 months or so. I also have some niggling concerns whether A-One would qualify for the Arrowsmith program which requires students to have average or above average intelligence.  A-One's IQ is just below the average range, although when he was younger he was in the average range. Given the C8 program is used for ADHD, and A-One had been on medication for ADD when he was younger, this program might even be more suitable for him than Arrowsmith?

So, I think C8's worth a try.  It seems to match A-One's cognitive impairments, and compares in price to Lumosity.

CogState

An article on SharpBrains referred to using a battery of online cognitive tests developed by CogStateTM, an Australian company based in Melbourne, listed in the top five in SharpBrains' Market Report.

When I had previously looked at CogStateTM's website I had noted that their target markets were primarily for testing cognitive capacities in the aging (Alzheimer's) and sports (concussions), clinical trials for pharmaceuticals, as well as use by academic researchers. I hadn't pursued it at the time because I hadn't thought that the work I was doing with A-One fitted any of those categories.

However, following on from my thinking in The Challenge blog, I wrote to CogStateTM several weeks back making an enquiry about the use of their tests. I was looking for an economical way to independently assess cognitive progress using Lumosity, or CogniFit, or any other online brain training.

Much to my excitement, CogStateTM has offered me the use of their Research battery of tests for 12 months!  This will enable me to take an independent baseline of A-One's cognitive capacities now, and to periodically check how he's going as he continues his training. I'm hoping that it will also help me better target the training that A-One requires.

I checked with A-One whether he was willing to undertake the tests.

A-One: How long will they take?

Mum: Each test takes between a few to several minutes, and there are about a dozen tests. Doing the tests would take perhaps an hour, but the total time would probably be longer than that as you would need to learn what each test entails.

A-One: OK.

So far, so good. No resistance.

I downloaded the software yesterday.  The software comes with a research manual which I have been reading and I'm now training myself in how to administer the tests.

I'm also putting on my thinking cap about how to gather others similar to A-One so that he has some fellow travellers wishing to improve their cognitive capacities. CogStateTM has told me that I am free to use the tests for such a group.

I hope I can keep A-One as excited about this as I am!

Under his own steam

Over the last month I have not been overseeing A-One's brain training too closely.  Under his own steam he has averaged training 3 times a week, which I'm very pleased about. 

At 53.6th percentile, his Flexibility has now finally passed the 50th percentile which is great news too! 

His Problem Solving is the only area that still lags under 10th percentile.

Over the last month we have been learning more about his WOW friends because he talks to them frequently, using his headphones and microphone. When playing, he sits in our family room so that he can use the internet cable instead of our unreliable wireless - we can't help overhearing his end of the conversations.  His sitting in our family area helps to include his online life with ours.

Not bored. Disappointed.

Over the last few weeks A-One's overall Lumosity BPI has stayed pretty steady at around 1000 or 43rd percentile.  He's been playing on average about three to four times a week.  The exciting part is that he is almost at the 50th percentile for Flexibility, and almost, almost at the 10th percentile for Problem Solving.  I'm still trying to convince him to re-prioritise his training preferences with Problem Solving at the top so that he can give himself a good workout in that area.

I asked him today if he was getting bored with Lumosity, because there are other exercises he could try, for example CogniFit.

A-One: It's not so much that I'm bored, but that only a few of the games have a 'Pause' button.  They flash up things so fast that it doesn't give me time to get it right. And sometimes I get only one thing wrong, and it gives me a low score - which is disappointing.  And the Penguin still goes faster than I can, which is cheating. Do they have a feedback section where I can tell them?

Mum: Some of the games might be testing your speed, just above your current level of skill, so that it's stretching you to get better.  Do you know what happens when you play any game against someone better than you?  Like tennis?

A-One: You lose?

Mum (laughing): Yes, probably.  But you get better!  They help you to lift your game. 

A-One: Sometimes you need to pause to do something else, like answer the door or something, and then for that day, you get a low score.

Mum: Well, after your official training for that day you could always do the game again to see how well you could really do without taking a break.  It wouldn't count in your official score, but you'd know how well you've really done.  And that's what really important isn't it?

A-One: Yes, I could do that.

Mum: If you want to send in some feedback, why don't you and see what they say?

A-One: I will, but not now.

Plateau'ing is normal

Today we looked at A-One's brain training scores over the last week. He seems to be playing about three to four times a week at present.  His scores are still at a plateau; he's now at 42.7th percentile overall.  However his Flexibility has been showing a steady increase, now at 48.2nd percentile.

Mum: I was reading in the Lumosity blog that plateau'ing is a common pattern when learning something new, and that sometimes sharp rises can occur and then be sustained.  That's certainly been your pattern, A-One.  The important thing is that you keep doing it, because your brain is working on it even though it doesn't seem to show in your scores right away.

A-One: Well, I didn't have internet for some days.

Mum: But you do now, so you should play today to catch up.

A-One: Yes, I will.

Perhaps he has been encouraged by his test report.  I haven't managed to get him to try CogniFit yet.

He's a Sharpshooter!

I was listening to a 'Founder Story' of Mike Scanlon, Lumosity's Chief Scientific Officer today.  He made reference to a broader cognitive test that Lumosity members can use every few months to see how their cognitive capacity is going as distinct from how well they are performing in the brain exercises.  (Note: It doesn't seem to work with IE 10, but does with Chrome.)  I can't find a link from the Lumosity website, but I had an email record of the URL from my initial inquiry to Lumosity.

I can't recall why I didn't get A-One to do it initially because that had been my plan.  Perhaps I had thought that limited levels of co-operation were better directed to the actual brain training.

Today he was willing enough to do it.  His test results tell him that his strengths are Speed and Attention. Problem Solving is rated above Memory which is his weakest, even though Memory is his area of strength in the actual exercises and Problem Solving his weakest. The report notes that Attention is good for driving. Imagine that! For a boy who had been told all his life that he needs to be kept on task,  had been on ADD medication for a while, and last year told by the neuropsychologist that he shouldn't get his drivers licence.

I love the encouraging way the report is presented and the smile on A-One's face when he read it: A-One, you are a Sharpshooter! Quick, observant and incisive.  You easily take in information and use penetrating insight to make quick decisions.  With a keen sense of spatial orientation, people with these strengths make natural athletes and navigators.   His overall score also put him in the 'about average' range for people in his age range.

(Would WOW also have something to do with this?)

Mum: See A-One, I think for someone who has your capabilities, it's criminal that you're not out there working or learning an occupation.  And you should be playing to your strengths - get to the gym three times a week!  or Tae Kwon Do or Roller Blading. I'm happy to take you.

A-One: I'd like to go to gym.

Mum: Great.  What time of the day do you want to go - and it should be at least 3 times a week.

He's still thinking about that one.

Mum: For someone who is decisive, it shouldn't take too long for you to make a decision about that.

A-One: I don't think I'd do very well at TAFE, because I struggle with the theory.

Mum: Don't base all your decisions on what you were good at, or not, at school.  Remember all this brain training is to enable you to do those things.  It's not because I'm 'into it' that I'm getting you to do brain training.  It's to make it possible for you to do those things that you are interested in!

A-One: OK.

I'm just not that into it Mum

Mum: A-One, I want to get your scores on the last couple of Lumosity games you've played.

A-One: No, not now!

Mum: I told you about an hour ago that I'd be coming to get your scores.

A-One: Not until I've done my games today.

Mum: I'm not waiting until midnight to get your scores for the last couple of days.

A-One: It won't be midnight.

Mum: All you need to do is 'brb' to your WOW mates!  I'm not waiting until tonight! I've given you plenty of notice.

Under sufferance he logged on to get his scores.

Mum: You're now at 40th percentile overall!

A-One (dully): Yes.

Mum: And you are in the 40s for both Attention and Flexibility!  All you need to do is relearn your tables and number facts and your Problem Solving would shoot up too.

A-One: I know what I have to do Mum.

Mum: Sigh.

Motivation and discipline

Once we got home, A-One had some jobs to do which he hadn't done last night, and I reminded him that I wanted to see his last Lumosity results (from Friday). Eventually he called me upstairs to see them.

He pointed out to me that he had achieved five PBs - I was pleased that he showed some interest in his results.  I told him again what great progress he had made - he's almost at 40th percentile overall, is already in the 40s (percentile) for Flexibility and almost the same for Attention.

Mum: You're doing so well, I think it's time to change your training priorities.

A-One: No. Nuh. No.

Mum: You need to work on your Problem Solving (which is still under 10th percentile).  You have done so well on all the others - up 60 percentiles on Speed since you started! You would do really well on Problem Solving if you just revised all your tables and number facts.  You used to know them, they would come back if you worked at them.  If you did that, I reckon you would zoom up on Problem Solving too, just like you have on all the others.

A-One: I know, but look, I will be doing a Problem Solving game today.  It's a Maths one though.

Mum: As I said ....  You know, I'm really looking forward to seeing what difference this all makes for your next job.

Is it making a difference in real life?

Last week A-One's dad asked him to do an outside job - pull down a vine off the fence.  It's a job he had done before, and it usually takes days of hassling to get him on to it.  However, last week he offered far less protest and actually had it done before his dad came home.  I didn't even remind him about doing it, and he did an excellent job.

This morning I asked him if he was ready to leave for Centrelink by 8:20am for an 8:45am appointment.  Recalling the last appointment, he said we could leave by 8:30am and be there on time.  When I think of all the times I try to get him to commit to a time and work back from there as to when to start getting ready! Seems that when it suits him, the working back from a time (time planning) may be all there?

I was reading a discussion on Friends of SharpBrains LinkedIn page this morning, which stressed the need for continued, disciplined effort for brain training to be effective.  That even parents find it difficult to maintain the focus for their children on brain training programs.  I also listened to a TED talk on motivation. How a manager takes notice of what people do can make all the difference to their willingness to stick with things (although I think any parent knows this too).  I know that if I left his brain training to A-One, it would never happen.  I just hope that my continued interest, encouragement and hassling - he sees me recording all his results in 'the red folder' - is sufficient to ensure he is doing enough for it to make a difference.

Working Memory

I can hardly believe it's been over a month since I blogged about my son A-One's brain training. He has continued doing some, but it hasn't been daily, more like every 4 or 5 days.  His overall score has moved up 5 percentiles during that time:

• His Speed is now 72nd percentile, with over half of the games having included information processing
• He cracked 50th percentile for Memory, although only a couple included working memory exercises
• He moved up 5 percentiles in Attention, but slipped back a couple of percentiles over the last few games played
• He has moved up almost 12 percentiles in Flexibility
• Problem Solving stays doggedly around 8-9th percentile, although he has been served up very few problem solving games over the last month

Once A-One had cracked the 50th percentile for Memory, I wanted to include additional working memory games e.g. Dual NBack download because it is a well-known clinically proven peer reviewed exercise for working memory, and is also free.  Roughly speaking, working memory is where you do (manipulate) things in your head e.g. reciting a known telephone number backwards.  A-One has an impairment in this area, and it's a pretty key one for learning.

I chose the downloadable version (there is an online version at Dual NBack online) so that any lack of access to internet would not be an issue.  Although he also does a version of that game in his Lumosity training, he doesn't get working memory games every time he plays, and I'd like to intensify his training in this area.  Cogmed is also a commercially available peer reviewed program for working memory which I had originally thought I'd book him in for, but I wanted to gauge his commitment level before committing funds.

The downloadable version does not have as simple look and feel as the online version, however it is more configurable, and can be set to start more simply than the online version.  Basically, the player has to remember two things (dual) and hit nominated keys when there have been matches from N times ago.  To get him started, I initially set it up for A-One to remember only the previous try (1 Back) instead of the default which is two tries ago (2 Back).  I tried it myself first so that I could explain how to play (for me, the explanation with the game took a few reads through).  He downloaded it happily enough (around 20 March), clearly indicating that he didn't need my help downloading it.

However, when it came to playing it:

A-One: This game is too hard - you have to remember two things.

Mum: Yes, it's difficult at first, but once you get used to it, you'll get the hang of it.

A-One: I'm not doing it.

And he hasn't since ...

Time to take a break? or Change?

Synch'ing my blogging with A-One's brain training is becoming a bit hit and miss.  Last night he did his training both before and after midnight, so his chart at the website shows some games for yesterday and one for today. I don't know whether that will allow him to include any more today in his recorded scores.

He's definitely hitting a plateau.  He wasn't pleased with his Speed score (information processing) which has dropped slightly over the last couple of days. He was showing me the game last night and, as he's done before, kept stopping and restarting the game when he made mistakes.  Perhaps he was distracted showing it to me, but if stopping and restarting means he gets more training repetitions in, then I'm fine with that. No memory game was served up.

He has had steep rises in improvement before. They seem to be after a break, so perhaps he needs a breathing spell. 

Alternatively, he might reset his training priorities so that he is served up more games on Attention, Flexibility and Problem Solving, rather than Speed and Memory where he's already at quite a reasonable percentile.

I'll put it to him ...

Coping with a change in disability employment service provider

Even though it was Sunday yesterday, A-One did his Lumosity training.  He had been reminded by his father, and didn't protest that it was the weekend.  However, he hasn't yet done his training today.

He's still plateau'ing in his scores, so no change much yesterday.  No information processing or working memory games, but he gained another PB again for the cafe game (familiar faces). He's really strong on that one.

 

This morning we attended an appointment with a new disability employment service (DES) provider, specialising in intellectual and learning disability, the only one in Queensland.  We have the usual hoops to go through, as we did a couple of years ago, including a Job Capability Assessment (JCA) at Centrelink next Monday. 

 

While his previous DES provider was good too, I was keen to try this new one due to their specialty. This one had been recommended to me by someone at the workshop I attended at University of Queensland last year.

 

A-One: Do you think the other DES people will think badly of me for changing? I don't want them to think badly of me because they were OK.  Sometimes they'd give me a lift to the bus stop, or even drive me home.

Mum: I expect they may be disappointed in losing a client, and I don't want to leave on bad terms either.  We'll give them a courtesy call to thank them for all their help, and tell them that this new service specialises in disabilities like yours, so we'd like to try it.

I'm glad that A-One is tuning into interpersonal aspects. I've seen him make similar comments when contemplating changing guilds in WOW too.

ESCoNS Cognitive Neurotherapeutics - a new field of gaming

A-One seems to have reached a plateau in his Lumosity brain training over the last couple of days, sitting at overall percentile of  31.9.  His games have included information processing and working memory on most of the last three days with several PBs on Wednesday.  However, yesterday (Thursday) he achieved a PB for Penguin Pursuit! This is the speed game where he complains that the penguin is cheating because it goes faster than he can. Nevertheless he completed level 15 of the game, and commented that he hasn't cracked level 16 yet.

Through SharpBrains I was alerted to an exciting symposium happening at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles this month. It's the second annual conference and meeting of The Entertainment Software and Cognitive Neurotherapeutics Society.  The press release states that it fosters collaboration to advance development of video game therapy to diagnose and combat mental disorders and improve cognitive learning, brain capacity and function. 

The society seems to have developed the whole new and exciting field of “cognitive neurotherapeutics.” What got me really excited was that the founder of the society is a past Executive of Activision Blizzard which publishes World of Warcraft!  So that means that there are others who recognise the potential of combining the disciplines of good game design with neuroscientific brain training!  It makes me feel hopeful about the increasing availability of online brain training exercises.  We just need to ensure that it's clear how to assess which games address which cognitive dysfunctions.

It takes time to be handsome

With no WiFi at present, A-One has connected his laptop into the last spare cable internet connection in the study.  As I have been working at my laptop too, we have been spending more time in each other's company.  In fact, I spent several days engrossed in some work of my own, and A-One beat me to bed one night! Or more accurately, one morning.  I well understand the draw of some kinds of work, just to see it completed - as A-One finds with campaigns in WOW.  These days I usually avoid activities that hook me in this way because there are many other things that also need my attention.  So for me, I'm glad my work of last week is over and that I've returned to the land of the living.

A-One played his brain training exercises Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On several days he played in his pyjamas at the eleventh hour, knowing now that if he waits until after midnight, it doesn't count for that day.

• His best score for Speed was on Tuesday, achieving his highest yet, coming in at 56.2nd percentile.  Since then he's been steady at 54.4th percentile, with a slight drop on Friday to 54.1st percentile.

• He has also been steady on Memory at 47.8th percentile with working memory played most days, rising to 48.8th percentile on Friday.

• Very few Attention games were offered this last week, so A-One has been steady there too at 33.4th percentile.

• Of late his program seems to have been exercising mainly his Flexibility, particularly brain shift, which has seen a good improvement last week, rising to 28.2nd percentile. I'm hoping these exercises will help him with his rigidity - in helping formulate options when considering courses of action.

• No change in problem solving (only a couple of games last week), at 9.1st percentile.

• His overall percentile is now 31.2nd percentile - still his highest yet.

A-One and I reviewed his results each day, and if information processing and working memory were not offered, I suggested additional games.  However with my own busy-ness I did not push it, and A-One did not play any additional games last week.

Nevertheless on Friday I felt like celebrating, so on Friday morning I raised the idea of going out for a low key dinner that night.  A-One seemed open to the idea.  I reminded him that he'd need to be ready by 6:30pm so that we could pick up his sister from work on the way.

I was very pleased to see him stop playing WOW at 5pm, with no prompting, to have a shower. At about 5:30pm he came downstairs wrapped in a towel to check with me again about the leaving time.  I told him that he needed to be ready by 6:30pm in case his sister rang for an early pickup, as she sometimes does, but that if she doesn't ring, we'd be leaving at 6:45pm. He then went back upstairs.

At 6:45pm he was still in the bathroom.

Mum: We have to leave now A-One.  Your sister has just called too.

A-One: I'll only be a couple of minutes.

Mum: But we have to leave now - as I told you this morning.  You've had all that notice!

A-One: I won't be long.

At 6:53pm:

Mum: A-One, we have to leave!

A-One: Okay. I'll only be a couple of minutes.

Mum: We have to go!

At 6:55pm, he came out of the bathroom looking very smart - he had shaved and put on nice clothes. I was pleased that he had taken care with his appearance, but I was also very conscious that his (younger) sister was waiting on a city street. At night. On her own.

Mum: I was really looking forward to being able to tell you what a great job you did being ready on time.  You stopped playing WOW at 5 o'clock which was great, but then you were still almost half an hour late!

A-One: If you must know, I was cutting my nails.  I've only done one hand.

(A-One's beard and nails get quite long when he plays WOW for weeks on end.)

Mum: Well, that's great too that you want to spruce up for going out - you look very handsome - but if you need more time to do that, then you need to start earlier.  You might say sorry to your sister for being late.

He didn't say sorry when we picked up his sister, but we did have a lovely meal.  With a little encouragement he tried something new to eat - and he finished it all before the rest of us, saying that's what he'll have every time he comes here!

His scores just keep improving

Last week A-One was frustrated with our intermittent wireless internet so he decided to reboot the router.  This causes issues for all users as we have to delete and reinstall all printer drivers, but this time it caused him an issue as well.  His laptop is now unable to use the wireless internet, despite his dad trying to troubleshoot the problem for several hours one night last week.

So he is without wireless internet access, but until that happened he had been able to do his brain training on Tuesday and Wednesday last week.  Wednesday saw him move up to 24th percentile for flexibility and up to 9.1st percentile for problem solving - his best yet!  Whoohoo!

On Wednesday he made the 30s! for his overall BPI percentile - 30.5th.  He had started at less than 10th - he just keeps improving.  Wednesday's games included another personal best for a game he likes - the cafe game about remembering names to faces and their orders.

And he may be applying some problem solving to real life. His dad and I were away for part of the weekend. When asked earlier in the week A-One chose not to join us.  However, when we were about to depart A-One asked where everyone was and commented that without internet there would be nothing for him to do. I reminded him that he could have come with us, but it was too late now.

As we were driving away I asked his sister to text him about free WiFi at the local library and that we could look up bus timetables if he wanted to take his laptop.  We didn't hear anything. Later on when I was talking to him he informed me that he had brought his laptop down to the study, unplugged his dad's laptop and plugged his in to access the cable internet.  Necessity the mother of invention?

Anyway, yesterday and today he has been happily ensconced at his dad's desk with his own laptop connected (until his dad needs to use his desk) .  He showed me his Wednesday scores, and when we saw that information processing wasn't included in Wednesday's games, he proceeded to choose and play an additional game without even so much as a whimper of protest.  In fact he showed some disappointment with his score having made only two errors.

Thank God it's Friday?

After Thursday's good day, Friday wasn't so flash.

Mum: OK A-One, time to get on to your brain training.

A-One: It's Friday!

Mum: And ...?

Later in the day he tried one game, then something locked up on his laptop and when he tried again it was after midnight and the site was unavailable.  On Sunday night when I asked him whether he had completed Friday's training, he hadn't.  However, he resumed on Monday.

He was given both information processing, working memory and flexibility games, resulting in scores similar to the day before.  He commented that he didn't like one of the games, a working memory game.

Mum: That means you're starting to work at a new level of capability - that's good.

Still, his overall BPI and percentile were marginally up again.  He's now performing overall at 25.6% of the population in his age range.

That sounds like a plan

Today was a good day.

After I woke A-One this morning I asked him about his plan for the day, to which he answered 'I don't know.'

Mum: Did you do your additional information processing and working memory games yesterday?

A-One: Yes.

Mum: Fabulous!

I gave him a gee up about getting on to today's games, then they'd be out of the way, and left it at that. 

Later on in the day, he came downstairs and told me there were three things he had to do today and proceeded to enumerate them.

A-One: I'll eat first, then I'll fix the DVDs folder, then Lumosity, then I'll report my income for Centrelink (which I should have done yesterday).

Mum: That sounds like a plan - well done!

This afternoon I asked him how it all went.

A-One: I've done them all.

Mum: That's great. Really well done.

It gets better.

He's now in the 25.3rd percentile for his overall BPI. He was presented with both an information processing and a working memory game today (so no extra ones to do), but it was his problem solving percentile which had shot up!  He's now in the 8.5th percentile! When he first started he was somewhere between <1st and 2.5th. We checked out which games he had been served: both a quantitative reasoning and a word sort game.  He performed significantly better with the word game, but even the maths one had risen slightly too.

I could see that he was pleased at my reaction to his problem solving result. Howzat!

I'm good with names

A-One's overall percentile after today's training was 24.5th - achieving a new high yet again at 808 BPI. His memory score was significantly further up from yesterday and his flexibility had just nudged higher than his previous highest before the break.

He was not served up any information processing or working memory games today. His memory game was about remembering faces. He usually does quite well with the cafe game where he has to remember both faces and orders, so it seems that remembering faces is quite a good strength for him.

He did it!

My son A-One did it! (she said proudly).  He played the extra game yesterday for information processing. My cup is full.

When I woke him this morning (even though I knew he'd been up until at least 3am), I gee'd him up to get onto his brain training first thing, and asked by-the-way about yesterday's extra work.

A-One: Yes, I did it.

Mum: Fantastic!  And how did you go?

A-One: OK I suppose.

Mum: Brilliant that you did it A-One.

He smiled, so I could see that he was pleased with the praise (unlike yesterday).

Later, when I was 'bragging' about him to his sister,

A-One: You don't have to tell everyone Mum.

Mum: You've heard about people who overcome obstacles - you could be one too you know. You could be an inspiration to others.

I was out again this morning, but he had finished today's training by the time I came home for lunch.  His overall BPI is now 763 at 21st percentile - the highest yet!  He wasn't served up a speed game today (so no information processing), but the memory game was on working memory again. He improved further, taking his memory to 32.1st percentile - another PB.  Other areas have been steady.

The online chart of his progress is showing a steep improvement since he resumed a couple of days ago.  When I mentioned that it looks like he's taking off, he seemed pleased - in a 'let's not go over the top here Mum' kind of way.

Mum: You didn't get an information processing game today, so that's what you'll need to add today.

A-One: It's my choice. I won't get worse if I don't do it.

Mum: How fast do you want to improve?  5 years? 6 months?

A-One: Well, not 5 years I suppose.

Mum: The more work you do, the faster you'll improve your prospects.  That'll be easier while you are still young.

I went back to my earlier notes on A-One's brain training.  He has improved over 500 BPI and 10 percentiles since he first started on 12 November 2012!  With a break of almost two months in between, that's really just a little more than a month of actual training.  We looked at it together and he seemed pleased with his progress.  I asked him to imagine getting to the 30th percentile ...

Best yet!

Whoohoo! Today A-One increased his BPI for memory (and it was working memory) by 113! (It wasn't before 10am, but at least it was before lunch.) And his overall BPI is the highest it's been, with his overall percentile at 19.6. He gained PBs for flexibility and problem solving which is now at 5.5th percentile.

Mum: Hey, that's fantastic - your score for memory!   And you're not only back at the level that you were, you're higher!

A-One, flatly: Yeh-Mum-it's-fantastic.

I noticed that his speed was still down, and that it wasn't an information processing exercise.  I told him ne needed to pick one of those and add it, so that he gets an information processing exercise in per day.  I needed to go out, and I haven't found out yet whether he added it.

I doubt it.